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Throughout the semester, I worked intensively on the question of why it is so difficult to combine good scientific information transfer and aesthetic presentation. My project was based on the analysis and visualisation of cell structures with the aim of explaining complex biological systems in an understandable and appealing way.Analysis and researchThe starting point for my work was the investigation of a wide variety of representations of cells. I noticed the enormous range of approaches - from overloaded, colourful graphics to simple, two-dimensional drawings. But none of these examples seemed to be both informative and aesthetically pleasing. Surprisingly, I found very few explanatory videos or animated films that presented the complexity of cell structures in a way that was both understandable and visually appealing.
Conception and Technical Realisation
After my initial research phase, I began designing my own cell animations. The question quickly arose: How do I design cells in a way that is both informative and aesthetic? What technical limitations do I have and how do I ensure that viewers recognise the structures as cells? an important step was the development of a storyboard that would clearly and comprehensibly illustrate the animation process. The first drafts were painted before I used still images to create clear visual language and sequences. A key challenge was to design backgrounds that would not overlay the main information.
Animation and Fine-Tuning
When animating the blood circulation, it became apparent that the background was often too dominant and the blood cells appeared unsystematically distributed. Using a particle system, however, I was able to distribute them randomly but more effectively. For the background, I used various node settings such as Texture Coordinate, Voronoi Texture, Colour Ramp and Mix Shader to achieve a calm but not boring background design, and the animation of the tumour cell explosion was a particularly difficult part. Although a quick effect split the segments of the explosion into flat pieces, I had to make additional modifications to achieve a realistic rendering. Due to the computational intensity, I eventually changed the render engine from Cycles to Eevee to work more efficiently.
Finalisation
With the still images for the storyboard ready, I focused on how to convey the necessary information in the animation. After several experiments with text and voice-over elements, I opted for text overlays that were gently and appropriately embedded in the animation. In terms of design, the choice fell on the font Inconsolata SemiExpanded Light, which, although not perfectly legible, fitted well into the overall picture of the animation.
Conclusion
In my design project, I was able to master the challenge of combining scientific information transfer and aesthetic presentation. Through careful analysis, creative conception and technical sophistication, I was able to create an animation that presents complex biological structures in a way that is both understandable and visually appealing.I hope my work inspires and shows that it is possible to successfully combine science and art.
